In the foodservice domain, there is a high demand in varied food preparations and beverages dispensed from automatic dispensing systems. In particular, hot and cold specialty beverages such as dairy based beverages are very much appreciated. Popular frothed and non-frothed dairy based beverages encompass, for instance, cappuccino, latte, mocchiato, and coffee frappe. Such beverages are usually produced from powder milk which is mixed with water and delivered simultaneously with or before coffee is delivered in the cup.
However, beverage powder poses a number of disadvantages. In particular, powder is difficult to dissolve in tepid or cold water, and sometimes also, in hot water, precisely, when powder contains an amount of fat such as in whole or semi-skim milk powder or insoluble proteins such as in skim milk powder. Therefore, powder requires more energy and/or time for mixing with other fluids but also for delivering a decent froth on top of the beverage. Powder is also sensitive to humidity and renders dose-to-dose accuracy more difficult to achieve. At certain levels of humidity, the dosing devices, such as canisters and augers, may even be blocked up to an extent which requires intervention from a maintenance operator. Food powder also suffers from a lower image in term of quality and is viewed as inferior in quality compared to liquid food.
Therefore, there is an increasing demand for dispensing systems which can deliver dairy based beverages in a more convenient way, while requiring less maintenance, low energy consumption and while providing frothed or non-frothed beverages of high quality.
Therefore, liquid food proves to offer these important advantages over food powder. However, contrary to food powder, certain liquid foods which are more microbiologically sensitive such as milk based and juices tend to spoil rapidly if drastic hygiene conditions are not respected. When food such as milk based products and juices are contaminated, their sensory quality is affected and it becomes unsafe to consumption with sometimes even risks of food poisoning.
Handling a liquid food product such as liquid milk, milk concentrate or juice in a safe and hygienic way in a dispenser system usually requires maintaining the product in refrigerated conditions when the container is opened in order to slow down microbial growth and extend the shelf life of the product sufficiently to avoid wasting too much product. However, refrigeration does not avoid microbial contamination but simply reduces the bacterial growth at the low temperature. Furthermore, it also requires frequent cleaning operations. To thorough clean the dispenser, it is usually necessary to disassemble parts of the machine. This disassembly is time consuming and labour intensive requiring training for the foodservice operators and increasing the chances for contamination if operators do not follow required hygienic standards or do not use the right tools.
Furthermore, the fitment areas for connection of the source of liquid food with the dispenser offer critical zones for microbial contamination and growth. Indeed, food residue and deposits tend to accumulate and settle in these connection zones and these surfaces are then difficult to be properly sanitized or cleaned. Again, dismantling the connections is often necessary to continue to ensure a high level of safety and food quality in the dispensing service.
GB 2,385,291 A relates to a liquid dispenser for dispensing a beverage comprising a reservoir for storing a liquid that supports microbial growth connected to a delivery outlet that is constructed as a capillary tube positioned to aim a fine jet of liquid directly into a dispensing container. The capillary tube is regularly sterilized by exposing the delivery outlet to an oxidizing gas such as ozone or chlorine dioxide. For that, the capillary tube is enclosed in a clamshell casing during the sterilizing process and the oxidizing gas is circulated around the capillary tube. This solution poses several problems in particular related to the way of sterilizing the capillary tube by the use of an oxidizing gas. Indeed, distributing, forcing the gas around the tube and evacuating the gas require a sophisticated arrangement. The gas is also corrosive and the gas must remain confined to the delivery outlet to avoid chemical attacks to other parts of the machine. The gas has a sterilization effect but does not remove liquid drops or solid residues, which can become a source of contamination and growth. In particular, the system requires repeated mechanical shocks to remove the last droplet of milk at the bottom of the capillary tube. This adds to the complexity and affects the reliability of the system. Furthermore, such system is not well adapted to deliver a food liquid to dispensing components downstream such as a mixing bowl and/or a whipper because of the use of oxidizing gas which can corrode or accelerate the aging of these components.
Therefore, there is a need for handling and delivering liquid food in or from a dispenser while using a simpler and more reliable method for cleaning and sanitizing the parts in contact with the liquid food which are subjected to risks of microbial growth.
There is also a need for a method which does not require dismantling of parts of the dispenser while reducing the risks of microbial spoilage.
There is also a need for providing a safer connection between the source of liquid food and the dispenser.
There is a need for a system that can be operated at any time and as frequently as required by the circumstances and/or safety regulations and without requiring the intervention of a maintenance operator.
There is also a need for a system that can offer an automatic cleaning and a sanitizing solution, which can be more easily controlled and made less susceptible to contamination by operator mishandling. The present invention now satisfies these needs.